A FedEx contract driver has been fired from the company and is jailed in Florida after he allegedly dumped holiday packages in the woods rather than return them to the delivery company at the end of his work day.
The driver, identified as Latavion Lewis, of Alabama, told the Holmes County Sheriff's Office that "due to the late hour" he just left the packages, according to AI.com.
As of Monday night, Lewis remained in jail in Holmes County, Florida. He has been charged with an organized scheme to defraud, as well as with grand theft and illegal dumping.
The investigation began last week when the Bonifay, Florida, post office reported that several packages had been dumped in the woods and beside a road.
The Holmes County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that it contacted FedEx to help find the driver who had been assigned to deliver the packages, and were able to track down Lewis, 28.
The department said sheriff's deputies contacted Lewis and set up a time to meet when he told them that he threw out the packages.
FedEx has confirmed that Lewis is no longer working with the company.
"This incident is completely unacceptable as the safe and secure transport of our customers’ shipments is our top priority, and we are fully cooperating with authorities in their investigation. In addition to being charged with criminal offenses, the individual involved is no longer providing service for our company," the company said in a statement.
The company is now working to make sure the packages are delivered and said anyone with questions about their shipments can call 1-800-463-3339 or use the FedEx app to track packages or for assistance with customer service.
The sheriff's office said 44 packages have been recovered but didn't report how many packages were thrown away. The recovered packages were sent to the post office in Bonifay to save the holidays by delivering them to their destinations.